That program was created after a veteran expressed the lack of services offered to service members in the Rio Grande Valley area.

“I'd venture to say that three years ago, I think there were some veterans that felt the same way. They thought 'Oh, no one is going to listen to us, why express that as a need?' And low and behold we went after some dollars and we were able to pull that off. So come on out and spend some time sharing your thoughts. We’d like to hear from you,” said Longoria.

After the 2015 round of forums, the agency applied and was approved for veteran-focused funding.

The agency went from serving between 60 and 70 veterans in 2015 to now serving nearly 600 veterans per year.